Mars, the planet of drive and action, enters the nakshatra of Pushya within Cancer from September 24th to October 17th, 2026.

Pushya’s symbol of an udder revolves around caring and nurturing, and your motivation and desires are bound up with looking after the people closest to you. The Shakti of this asterism, ‘The Power to Create Spiritual Energy,’ gives you a strong and tenacious style, and you are especially effective if your security feels threatened in any way. You may be drawn into a caring environment like a hospital, hotel, or retreat, or simply tap into your instincts about people’s needs.

Mars is not in its most natural habitat in this nakshatra, but you succeed by applying your energy more subtly and showing your softer side. Your moods and emotional state are highly influential, and a lot depends on feeling grounded inwardly. Coming together with Jupiter-Guru in Cancer, Mars lifts your level still further and gives you a drive towards philosophy and higher knowledge, and a deep confidence in your own performance.

You like adventure and a challenge, and remain fair and sporting even when a dispute or competition gets tough. On your best day, you have great physical stamina that can outlast the competition and achieve a target that would be out of reach at any other time. Try to maintain consistency, however, and be mindful of ‘Superhero syndrome’ where you are over-impulsive and burn out by attempting too much.

A spiritual component to your actions also sees you putting energy into meditation or psychology, and you can affect business powerfully from behind the scenes.